Richard III is one of Shakespeare s most popular historical plays. It takes place in the final years of the War of the Roses, when the first and last Yorkist kings rule England. In it the hunchbacked Richard, Duke of Gloucester, covets his brother’s throne and will stop at nothing to get it. This includes the murder, betrayal and manipulation of family, friends and foe alike, as well as some of Shakespeare’s most famous lines. This short narrative version of the play has been suitably adapted for young readers.